School Board Passes Levy and Bond Questions for Fall Ballot

The major focus of the Thursday evening’s school board meeting was the levy/bond decision. All three proposed levy and bond questions were approved by the school board Thursday evening.

The school board is asking voters:

• To support an Operating Levy: this will increase the operating amount per student by $500 for seven years for a total of $1,465 per student for seven years.

• To support a Capital Projects Levy, costing $982,300 for seven years. This levy will expand student access to technology.

• To support a bond to pay for updating and adding science labs, STEM labs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and HVAC systems.

Look tomorrow for the complete story on the levy questions including how much the levies will increase taxes for residents, what voters are getting for their money and what will happen if the levies and bonds are not passed.

In other school board news:

• Jim Gillach, the new Assistant Principal of Oakland Jr. High officially introduced himself to the School Board and Shelly Phernetton, the new Assistant principal at Stillwater Junior High also officially introduced herself to the board.

• Lynne Ritzer, the supervisor of finance and Assistant superintendent, Ray Queener accepted the financial award for the school district.

• The school board received a legislative update from Queener on how the new state budget will affect the state and the Stillwater Area school district.

• Superintendent Corey Lunn gave the school board a strategic plan update on Vision 2014 and how the proposed levies and bond will complete the vision.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:15 p.m. at Stillwater City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.